Lilim Auratum
by Henry V
Summary: Yes, another Xover. Guess what with... Set in a world where Second Impact not only destroyed Human society as we know it, but fractured the minds of the few who could make a difference.


Disclaimer: I do not own nge, never will never have. So there. I haven't got any money from doing this, so no harm done.

Lilium Auratum

A tale by Henry V

Prelude to Foundation

Rei.

My name.

Ayanami…

Also my name.

Rei… Ayanami…

A name. this name is mine.

My identity. My self. But…

Who am I?

Pain…

Ouch.

Hurts, like knives.

This pain. A feeling. A sensation.

Smoke, choking me. Obscuring my sight.

Red light. Heat.

Fire.

Cold.

It is wet, soaking me. My clothes no longer protect me from it.

A creak, a snapping sound.

More pain, then numbness.

A coldness, seeping up from my legs.

I feel…

Nothing

Lights.

So very bright, white light.

Voices. Humans…

Hands, grabbing for me, pulling. Shouts, screams. Pain…

Darkness

The doctor sighed, and stepped into the room. This case was terrible. The five hundred other victims had not been so lucky, and this one hadn't seemed to realize exactly how lucky he was. Hm. Not that she hadn't seen the like, after having gone through the third world war. Death and despair were common then, and she had had her part in the conflicts ravishing the human race. But this patient was beyond her comprehension. Even with massive blood loss, the girl had survived the explosion that toppled the steel tower onto the masses. Looking at her watch, she estimated that twenty hours had passed since. Bodies were being pulled out of the wreckage even now, and hope for survivors were slim. This girl was the only one they had managed to keep alive so far. Other live subjects died soon after the recovery. There were three others that she had heard of, and two of them were already dead.

She checked the system's readouts, hoping against hope that this girl might not suffer for long. Taking a moment, she gazed down at the pale girls behind the glass dome shielding her from the outside world, the bandages obscuring most of her face. Bruises made her look eerily cold, and adding to the alien effect of her blue hair. A soft beep alerts the good doctor that her heart still beats, slowly. She passes her eyes down over the girl, until she reached her legs. Or what was left of them. One had been completely severed, bluntly. Shreds of flesh had to be removed, until the medics could cauterize her artery. The other leg had been left attached, but the bloody mess the thing was in meant they would have to remove it soon. She sighed. Pressing the comm. Button on her pda, she summoned the surgeon for the third time.

"Are you absolutely sure, sir?" the sadness in the man's eyes was clearly evident. Gendo Ikari held his wife's hand, nodding only once. Yui's ashen face made him uneasy. The woman was usually so in control, so strong. But now… their son was missing, and he wished feverently that something, someone, would make this alright again. "He is very… "the doctor hesitated. How could he put this? Fuck, no kid should have these kinds of wounds. Hell, half of him was missing. "… unstable. I'm sorry, but I don't think he'll last the night. I…" his throat clenched, the horrible bile of what he'd drunken not ten minutes ago rising dangerously close to the outside world. He turned his head slightly around, and opened the door. Pulling the door open, he couldn't meet the man's gaze. Far less the woman's. No parent should have to bury their son. No one deserved this. As he heard the anguished scream of the mother, he rushed in to help if he could. He stopped however as he glimpsed the two broken parents on the floor. The terrible pain she was voicing sent a cold shiver down his spine, as she clung to her husband with hopelessness so terrible it struck his heart with fear. Why me? Why my fucking shift? God, we're supposed to bring joy, not show them a kid ten minutes before he dies.

Three days later, they were still fighting for the two children's lives. Their hearts stopped countless times, to be dragged back into motion by the sweating, cursing doctors. Every time, they died a little more. Their brains were still young, but the damage of a stopped heart still wreaked havoc in their cranial arteries. Their life expectancy dwindled, slowly reaching impossibly small chances of ever recovering.  
Dr Ritsuko Akagi heaved a sigh. The latest scans of the boy's cranium showed the clotted arteries, a black mist obscuring the x-ray frame. 'This kid's not going to live the night. I think it's time to tell his parents'

The phone rang.

It rang again.

Yui Ikari just stood there, three feet from the phone hanging on the wall.

It rang a third time.

Gendo looked at his wife, the pain obviously written on both their faces, and both knowing what this cal meant.

The fourth ring penetrates the thick silence.

She begins to shake, extending her hand slowly. Gendo stood up and lay a hand on her shoulder, trying to strengthen her resolve somehow.

The fifth ring was cut short as Yui picked the phone up and accepted the call.

"…Ik…Ikari speaking..."

Her voice was slightly hoarse, dry.

"This is Dr Akagi speaking. I would like you and your husband to come to the hospital and meet me in Shinji's room, please. There is something I would like you to hear. There may be… a way for him to survive, but… please come as soon as possible, Mrs. Ikari. "

Yui tensed visibly, trying not to collapse in a heap. "Of course, Dr… We're on our way!"

Without waiting for an answer, she hung up, and turned to Gendo. "We have to go. Now."

He hugged her tightly, whispering into her ear. "He'll live, Yui. I know it. He is your son, after all." Kissing her head lightly, he pulled away and grabbed her coat to hold it out for her.

"You really think so?" she asked, pleading with her eyes that he'd confirm her wish.

He nodded. "Yes,Yui. I know he will."

Akagi set down her phone. She sighed and rested her face in her hands. 'Now all there is left is a husk, empty and void of human emotion, hopes or thought. This kid is going to die, and the mere thought of it is cold'

Yes, it was cold. But consider the alternative. Children like him have no hope but this one last chance at life. Yes, it's hardly morally justified, but projects like these are hard to execute otherwise. She remembered the argument that she had with Misato two days ago….

"_These kids are our last line of defense against the angels, and you know it. You of all people should understand this, Misato. Our future lies in their hands, and you know as much as I do that nothing else will be enough."_

_Misato crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You sound more and more like Fuyutsuki, Ritsuko. They may be our last line of defense, but you know damn well that they are still kids. The Idea of them actually going to war for training… " she shook her head, letting out a harsh breath. _

"_Training for the real thing can only be achieved by actual combat. Simulating fights would only dampen their resourcefulness. Remember Mari? They knocked her out by not following the usual procedure. Innovative thinking is necessary, and the only way to teach them that is to put them to use. And besides, Unit 2 is doing quite well. So are unit 3 and 6. _

Yui sat down, on the seat in front of his life support unit. Her mind was blank, trying to comprehend the situation.

'They were going to save him. That's what she said. That's what I believe. That's what she just said. That's what must be done. He must die to live. And I have to kill him in order to save him. What kind of fucked up idea was this? But it's his only chance. His _last_ chance. _My_ last chance. '

"Are you sure he'll live?" she asked. Her voice was distant, apathic. Like a waif's whisper, emotionless, unreachable.

"The procedure is not fully verified, but this would be your only hope for him. I can't say for sure, but he'll have a higher probability of survival. So no, I'm not sure."

Yui stared at Shinji's face. Or at least the bandage-covered appendage that was supposed to be his head.

"so this would be our last chance to say goodbye."

Not a question. Not a single glimmer of hope. Nothing. Gendo stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. The coldness of her voice hurt him, but he didn't show it. Not now. Not here. At home, yes, he will. But not here.

"Very well. You will have to sign him over to the SWA. Then he will be admitted to surgery. This has to be done as soon as possible, otherwise his patterns will be unobtainable. "

It was a Sunday. Rainy and cold, the masses of black clad students spread out in front of the graveyard, their umbrellas shielding the masses of people from the cold wetness. Slowly the line passed by the small open grave. Each black-clad figure tossed a red rose into the hole in the ground, landing softly on the bed of roses already covering the oaken grave.

Yui stood next to her husband, weeping silently into gendo's chest. Not for the first time, she asked herself if shee had really done everything she could have. An hour later, they were the only ones left standing in front of the grave. After another twenty minutes, even they made their way home.

Only five minutes later, the gravediggers began filing the hole with earth, setting Shinji ikari's body to rest.

AN: there. This is another crossover idea that I had. Is it good? Not good? Tell me if this is worth expanding or not.

See ja!


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